Strawberry plant called &#34;Capitola&#34;

ABSTRACT

`Capitola` is a new day-neutral type of strawberry variety with perhaps the highest potentiality for yield of any cultivar yet released. It is also noteworthy for large fruit size, symmetry, attractive appearance and general flexiblity in planting requirements.

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a new and distinctive day-neutral type strawberry cultivar designated as `Capitola` which is the result of a cross between CA 75.121-101×Parker (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,263), made in 1983.

`Capitola` first fruited at the University of California Wolfskill Experimental Orchards near Davis, Calif. in 1984, where it was selected and designated originally as CA 83.93-6. It was tested later as advanced selection CN 93.

`Capitola` has been propagated asexually by runners and has been tested at various University of California field stations and research facilities and to a very limited extent in growers' fields under Test Agreement.

In the photographs:

FIG. 1 shows typical growth, flowering and fruiting characteristics of the plant.

FIG. 2 shows a typical midsummer mature leaf from a plant in full fruit.

FIG. 3 shows representative early-season fruit with longitudinal and cross-sectional views.

`Capitola` commences fruiting about three months after planting, whether fresh dug or cold storage plants are used, regardless of planting time provided that satisfactory growing conditions prevail. `Capitola` is a stronger day-neutral than `Selva` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,266), or `Muir` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,558), but not quite as strong as `Hecker` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,507) or `Fern` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,267). The difference is most evident in the nursery where the mother and most of the daughter plants tend to flower and fruit whereas only the daughter plants of `Selva` tend to flower and fruit. `Capitola` is heterozygous for the day-neutral trait.

Plants and foliage

Fruiting `Capitola` plants are larger and somewhat more erect in growth flowering habit than those of `Selva` but less erect in flowering habit than `Muir` or `Irvine`. Foliar characteristics from mid-summer 1988 central coast grown fruiting plants of `Capitola` are compared with those of `Irvine`, `Muir`, `Selva`, and `Fern` in Table 1.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         CAPI-        IR-                                                               TOLA         VINE     MUIR     SELVA  FERN                                     ______________________________________                                         Munsell 7.5GY4/  7.5GY4/  2.5GY4/                                                                               7.5GY4/                                                                               7.5GY4/                                Color   4        4        3      4      4                                      Shape   1.17     1.10     1.02   1.10   1.14                                   (length/                                                                       width)                                                                         Base    55°                                                                              53°                                                                              60°                                                                            55°                                                                            50°                             angle of                                                                       terminal                                                                       leaflet                                                                        Size of 90       76       84     81     76                                     terminal                                                                       leaflets                                                                       Serrations                                                                             11.2     9.4      11.2   11.2   12.0                                   of terminal                                                                    leaflets                                                                       Petiolule                                                                              6.6      6.6      6.6    10.4   6.4                                    length                                                                         (MM)                                                                           Petiole 209      150      137    152    154                                    length                                                                         (MM)                                                                           ______________________________________                                    

As shown above `Capitola` leaves are about the same color as those of `Selva`, `Fern` and `Irvine` but lighter and more yellow than those of `Muir` (Munsell Color System--Nickerson Color Fan). Terminal leaflets are only slightly longer in relation to width than those of `Selva`, `Fern` or `Irvine` but less round than those of `Muir` as shown by the length/width measurement and half-blade terminal leaflet basal angle. `Capitola` terminal leaflets are somewhat larger than those of the comparison cultivars as determined by extracting the square root of the length×width measurements. Terminal leaflet serration numbers are about the same as those for all the comparison cultivars except `Irvine` which has less. The length of the terminal leaflet petiolules of `Capitola` is about the same as those of all the comparison cultivars except `Selva` which has longer ones. `Capitola` plants are considerably larger than those of any of the comparision cultivars as indicated by petiole length. Similar to `Irvine`, bract leaflets are rare on `Capitola`. Runner production in nursery plants of `Capitola` is quite good, about equal or better than for `Selva` and `Muir`.

Isozymes in leaf extracts

`Capitola` has been classified for three enzyme systems by starch gel electrophoresis: A. Phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI); B. Leucine Amino Peptidase (LAP); and C. Phosphoglucomutase (PGM); and the results are compared with those for other day-neutral California cultivars in Table 2.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                                 CAPITOLA & MRAK  IRVINE    MUIR                                        ______________________________________                                         PGI     A1               A3        A2                                          LAP     B3               B1        B1                                          PGM     C2               C1        C2                                          ______________________________________                                               SELVA    HECKER    APTOS & BRIGHTON                                                                             YOLO                                    ______________________________________                                         PGI   A2       A1        A4            A1                                      LAP   B3       B1        B3            B1                                      PGM   C2       C4        C4            C2                                      ______________________________________                                    

Thus, `Capitola` with the pattern A1, B3 and C2 can be distinguished from all other U. C. day-neutrals with these three systems except `Mrak` to which it is identical. For the procedure: J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:684-687, 1981).

Disease and pest reaction

`Capitola` is highly resistant to (tolerant of) the virus diseases common in California including "Mild Yellow Edge" and complexes containing it and is quite susceptible to common leaf spot (Ramularia), and is moderately susceptible to the two-spotted mite.

Flowering, fruiting, fruit and production characteristics

`Capitola` is similar to California day-neutral cultivars `Selva` and `Muir` in that with a minimum of conditioning, it will flower and fruit anytime, effectively independent of day length. Flowers are borne on long, relatively thick peduncles, much less erect as those of `Muir` or `Irvine` but more erect than those of `Selva`. The flowers have large petals averaging about six. `Capitola` is self-fertile providing ample pollen throughout the season and pollination is generally good as relatively few malformed fruit form.

All of our measurements show that `Capitola` is capable of yielding more than any of the other day-neutral and short-day type cultivars that we know of and with fruit size as large or larger on the average as that of `Selva` (Tables 3, and 4). `Capitola` may have as low or lower a chilling requirement than `Selva` and it might be possible to plant it earlier than `Selva` with favorable results.

`Capitola` fruit shape is characteristically symmetrically medium conic. The frluit of `Capitola` is less firm than that of most of the other day-neutral cultivars as measured by a penetrometer equipped with a "Hunter Force Gauge" (Tables 4 and 5). `Capitola` fruit quality characteristics (ascorbic acid, soluble solids, titratable acid and color) are compared with those of `Chandler`, `Douglas`, `Irvine`, `Oso Grande`, and `Selva` from plants grown under optimum conditions under the "hill" system in winter plantings at the University of California Strawberry Research Facility, Watsonville, in Table 5. Table 3. Comparing the 1988 harvest of `Capitola` over eight winter plantings and the 1989 harvest over four with those of appropriate cultivars at Watsonville. Means with the same letter not significantly different (5%).

    ______________________________________                                                  TOT                                                                            YLD      SIZE    FIRM   AP     PERF*                                  ITEM     G/PL     G/FR    PENET  SCORE  SCORE                                  ______________________________________                                         1988 Harvest                                                                   Capitola 1758 a   23.9 a  6.3 cd 3.5 a  35.5 a                                 Fern     1381 a   20.2 c  6.1 d  3.1 cd 31.4 bc                                Irvine   1309 bc  21.6 b  7.8 a  3.2 c  33.1 ab                                Selva    1305 bc  22.3 b  7.8 a  3.3 b  33.4 ab                                Muir     1090 cd  21.6 b  7.2 b  3.1 cd 29.9 cd                                Mrak     1081 cd  17.6 d  6.5 c  3.0 d  27.9 d                                 Yolo      938 d   19.3 c  7.1 b  3.0 d  27.2 d                                 1989 Harvest                                                                   Capitola 2725 a   26.5 a  4.4 e  2.8 l  45.1 a                                 Oso Grande                                                                              1788 bc  26.9 a  6.6 a  3.1 b  38.4 bc                                Irvine   1710 bc  21.8 b  6.5 abc                                                                               2.9 cd 35.4 cd                                Selva    1528 c   22.6 b  6.6 ab 3.1 bc 34.3 d                                 Muir     1523 c   22.1 b  6.0 c  2.9 d  33.2 d                                 Chandler 1491 c   25.6 a  5.3 d  3.4 a  34.2 d                                 ______________________________________                                          *Performance Score =-                                                          ##STR1##                                                                 

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         Comparing the 1987 harvest of `Capitola` with that of 3 standard               short-day type cultivars and 3 day-neutral cultivars in a summer               planting made at Watsonville 3 Sept. 86.                                       ______________________________________                                                                     TOT                                                        G/PL BY 6 WKS ENDING                                                                               YLD                                                CULTIVAR  5/6      617     7/29   9/16  G/PL                                   ______________________________________                                         Chandler  436      917     576    297   2227                                   Oso Grande                                                                               500      638     241    177   1559                                   Pajaro    423      621     300    202   1548                                   Capitola   21      985     774    558   2339                                   Muir      359      596     332    232   1521                                   Selva     417      522     266    219   1425                                   Yolo      451      311     166    105   1034                                   ______________________________________                                                  TOT                                                                            YLD     SIZE    FIRM   AP.     PERF.*                                 CULTIVAR S.D.    G/FR    PENET  SCORE   SCORE                                  ______________________________________                                         Chandler 255     16.5    4.7    3.1     37                                     Oso Grande                                                                              49      20.5    6.3    2.9     32                                     Pajaro   85      19.8    5.2    3.1     32                                     Capitola 67      26.0    5.1    3.5     44                                     Muir     36      22.3    5.4    3.1     33                                     Selva    287     22.1    6.0    3.1     32                                     Yolo     17      19.2    4.9    3.5     26                                     ______________________________________                                          *Performance Score                                                             ##STR2##                                                                 

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         Fruit quality measurements and color, Watsonville 8 May 1989.                  Means with same letter not significantly different (5%)                                 ASCORBIC    SOL      TIT.                                                      ACID        SOLIDS   ACID                                             CULTIVAR mg/100 g    %        %      COLOR                                     ______________________________________                                         Chandler 51 a        7.3 a    0.69 b 5R4/12                                    Douglas  43 bc       6.8 b    0.72 b 6R4/12                                    Irvine   41 cd       6.9 ab   0.66 bc                                                                               7R5/14                                    Oso Grande                                                                              40 cd       5.7 c    0.52 d 7.5R4.5/11                                Capitola 39 d        6.7 b    0.91 a 5R4/12                                    Selva    33 e        7.1 ab   0.59 cd                                                                               7R4/11                                    ______________________________________                                    

`Capitola` fruit averaged almost as high in ascorbic acid content as `Douglas`, `Irvine`, `Irvine` and `Oso Grande`, less than `Chandler`, but more than `Selva` as measured by the Loeffler and Ponting method (1942J. Indust. and Engin. Chem. 14:846). `Capitola` fruit was in the middle grouping on soluble solids but highest of all in titratable acids (ibid).

The fruit skin color is about the same as that of `Chandler`, `Pajaro` or `Douglas` (ibid). The flesh color is about the same as that of the skin. The achenes are bright yellow to slightly reddish, positioned about flush with the skin surface. The calyx is medium to large sized, positioned about even with the base of the fruit.

The flavor of `Capitola` is pleasantly sub-acid as good or better than that of `Selva` and is slightly more juicy. The fruit is recommended for fresh market and processing, for commercial planting and home gardening, particularly where "off season" fruiting is desirable. The only cultivars that `Capitol` resembles closely in performance are `Selva` and `Muir` and consequently it is of interest wherever they are currently grown. 

We claim:
 1. The new and distinct variety of strawberry plant herein described and illustrated and identified by the characteristics enumerated above. 